FIGHTING
FIT
Over the last decade we’ve seen a
paradigmatic shift in exercise oncology.
REPs member Hazel Davies promotes the
benefits of exercise for people living with
cancer.
I
n many ways it
is easy to see
why society
previously saw
bed as the best
place for someone who was ill
with cancer, however as exercise
professionals we also know that
a sedentary lifestyle can add to
fatigue rather than shifting it.
We know that our muscle mass
and mood levels are likely to drop
if we remain inactive. What we
probably don’t know though (unless
we have had additional training in
exercise oncology) is how exercise
may impact the immune system
and inflammation levels in different
people with different cancers and
at different stages of these cancers.
Well, I was certainly none the wiser
on matters of immunology but I did
have an inkling that keeping fit was
probably helpful for many people
living through and beyond cancer,
particularly as a couple of summers
ago I had waved off my partner and
his brother, Nigel, as they embarked
on an epic cycling tour of the
@REPsUK
FM 21